Defining the orphan and the age at which the status of orphanhood ends

Question:
The questioner also asks from Sharjah, in her questions, O Shaykh: Is a mother’s orphan considered an orphan and does he fall under the care of the orphan? And what is the legal age at which orphanhood ends?

Answer:
An orphan is the one whose father died, not his mother. The one whose mother died is not called an orphan. An orphan is the one whose father died while he was young, before he reached puberty. When he reaches puberty, the name of orphanhood is removed from him. If he completes fifteen years of age, or if he emits semen through desire, or if coarse hair grows around his private parts, he becomes a man and is no longer an orphan. The woman is likewise: if she menstruates, or reaches fifteen years of age, or if the hair around her private parts grows, or if she emits semen through desire in the night or in the day through wet dreams, she becomes a woman.